Shiv Sena leader calls Farhan’s act shameful, urges Indian team to respond, mocks government’s handling
Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed fury over Pakistani batter Sahibzada Farhan’s gun-firing gesture during a match against India, calling his act a ‘shameful matter’ for the BCCI and the Modi government. Suryakumar Yadav should have kicked Farhan on the field for his act, he said.
Citing a viral video showing Pakistani batsman Sahibzada Farhan making a gun firing gesture, Raut said, “Sahibzada Farhan just proved on the field how Pakistani terrorists slaughtered 26 innocents in Pahalgam by gunning them down like it was nothing. He gripped his bat like an AK-47, firing boundaries.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader criticised the Indian team players, BCCI and Union government for remaining a mute spectator. “The entire Indian team, including (ICC chairperson) Jay Shah, was watching this action coolly. Suryakumar Yadav should have kicked Farhan in the waist. This is a shameful matter for the BCCI and Modi government. It is an insult to the Indian Army and the innocent civilians who died in Pulwama-Pahalgam,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
Taking a dig at Jay Shah, who is also Union Minister Amit Shah’s son, Raut said the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairperson should be given Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. “Jay Shah should be given Bharat Ratna for stopping the India-Pakistan war. United States President Donald Trump should also be given the Nobel Prize for insulting India’s martyrs. All bhakts should strongly demand Bharat Ratna for Jay Bhai,” he said sarcastically.
Raut also claimed that the time of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s national address, on Sunday, was advanced from 8 pm to 5 pm to enable BJP members to watch the India versus Pakistan cricket match on Sunday.
“PM Modi’s ‘usual time’ to address the nation is 8 pm, calling it a ‘standard time to mislead people.’ Apparently, BJP members requested the PM to schedule his address for 5 pm instead of the usual 8 pm. They wanted to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match and so the time was changed. What great patriots are these people who have made this arrangement! The prime minister talked about GST at 5 o’clock yesterday (Sunday) so that blind devotees and BJP members could watch the cricket match. What a display of patriotism!” Raut said.
In the Super 4 clash of the Asia Cup tournament, India beat their traditional rivals Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
